chamois

[ sham-ee; French sha-mwah ]

/ ˈʃæm i; French ʃaˈmwɑ /

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See synonyms for chamois on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural cham·ois, cham·oix

[sham-eez; French sha-mwah]. /ˈʃæm iz; French ʃaˈmwɑ/.

an agile, goatlike antelope, Rupicapra rupicapra, of high mountains of Europe: now rare in some areas.

a soft, pliable leather from any of various skins dressed with oil, especially fish oil, originally prepared from the skin of the chamois.

a piece of this leather.

a cotton cloth finished to simulate this leather.

a medium to grayish yellow color.

verb (used with object), cham·oised

[sham-eed], /ˈʃæm id/, cham·ois·ing

[sham-ee-ing]. /ˈʃæm i ɪŋ/.

to dress (a pelt) with oil in order to produce a chamois.

to rub or buff with a chamois.

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Also chammy, shammy, shamoy (for defs. 2-4, 6, 7).

Origin of chamois

First recorded in 1525–35; from Middle French, from Late Latin camox, presumably of pre-Latin origin; cf. gems

Words nearby chamois

chamfer bit, chamfron, Chaminade, chamiso, chammy, chamois, chamomile, Chamonix, Chamorro, CHamoru, Chamos

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use chamois in a sentence

With a synthetic chamois, dip it into the soapy mixture and, with small circles, gently clean the surface of the record.
Hints From Heloise: Halloween candy needs a screening by Mom or Dad|Heloise Heloise|October 29, 2021|Washington Post
A warm brushed-fleece interior, ultra-dense foam chamois, and wind- and water-repellent nylon-elastane outer drew us to this bib.
The Best Winter Cycling Kit of 2022|jversteegh|October 26, 2021|Outside Online
The chamois will get more detergent exposure, and will rinse cleaner.
How to Clean Your Cycling Gear|agintzler|July 17, 2021|Outside Online
Let sweaty gear dry out before you toss it in the bin, especially shorts with chamois pads.
How to Clean Your Cycling Gear|agintzler|July 17, 2021|Outside Online

We happily wear these long after we’ve yanked off the chamois.
The Best Mountain-Bike Shorts for Women|Kelly Bastone|June 9, 2021|Outside Online
The Mail, helpfully, reports that Pippa has stocked up with special “chamois cream” for the purpose of protecting her butt.
Pippa Eating At McDonalds in Missouri RIGHT NOW!|Tom Sykes|June 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The outside, also, well polished with sweet oil and stale milk, then enveloped in chamois leather.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
The sight of the fellow wandering about a garden bareheaded and gloved in yellow chamois leather had begun to affect my nerves.
Jaffery|William J. Locke
With weak unsteady steps he paced his room, and looked at the old Swiss chamois-gun above the door.
Julian Home|Dean Frederic W. Farrar
You will be glad to hear that Sir John's chamois leather waistcoat fits me quite well.
Letters of Lt.-Col. George Brenton Laurie|George Brenton Laurie
The chamois were very wary,—they would send one to look out; but the hunter must be still more wary,—put them off the scent.
Rudy and Babette|Hans Christian Andersen

British Dictionary definitions for chamois

chamois

/ (ˈʃæmɪ, French ʃamwa) /

noun plural -ois

(ˈʃæmwɑː) a sure-footed goat antelope, Rupicapra rupicapra, inhabiting mountains of Europe and SW Asia, having vertical horns with backward-pointing tips

a soft suede leather formerly made from the hide of this animal, now obtained from the skins of sheep and goats

Also called: chamois leather, shammy, shammy leather, chammy, chammy leather (ˈʃæmɪ) a piece of such leather or similar material used for polishing, etc

(ˈʃæmwɑː)

a yellow to greyish-yellow colour
(as modifier)a chamois stamp

verb (tr)

to dress (leather or skin) like chamois

to polish with a chamois

Word Origin for chamois

C16: from Old French, from Late Latin camox of uncertain origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

chamois

Origin of chamois

Words nearby chamois

Words related to chamois

How to use chamois in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for chamois

Word Origin for chamois